Second Time Around
by cleotheo
Summary: Ron sees a school reunion as the perfect time to fix his life and make amends with his ex wife, Hermione. However, he doesn't count on the fact that Hermione has moved on with her life, and just who she's moved on with. Five part reunion story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – As any of my regular readers know, I love a reunion story so here we are with another of my short reunion stories. This one had 5 chapters and updates will be daily. I hope people enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

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Ron Weasley looked down at the fancy gold edged, ivory invitation in his hands, anticipation swirling in his stomach. In Ron's hands lay an invitation to his school reunion. It had been twenty years since Ron had graduated from Hogwarts, or at least it had been twenty years since he should have graduated. With the war, he'd never actually finished his education at Hogwarts, but then again, neither had most people in their year. Still, the invitation was a chance to reunite with his fellow classmates and reminisce on the good times spent at Hogwarts.

Although reminiscing with old friends wasn't what had Ron's stomach churning with anticipation. He was actually still in contact with any old friends he was interested in talking to, all apart from one. The love of his life, and former wife, Hermione Granger. It had been fifteen years since his marriage had ended, and fourteen years since he'd last seen Hermione, but he was still in love with the feisty brunette witch who had so captivated him back in school.

Ron couldn't pinpoint exactly when Hermione went from being his slightly annoying friend, to the witch he spent every waking hour thinking about, but by the time the war was over and Voldemort was defeated, he was head over heels in love with Hermione. Fortunately for him, Hermione seemed to return his feelings and as things started to return to normal, the pair embarked on a romance. To Ron their relationship was perfect, and it was Hermione who had helped him cope with losing his brother, Fred, in the war. Without her, he wasn't sure he ever would have moved on from the war and started to live his life again.

But live again he had done, and he'd joined his best friend, Harry Potter, in joining the Aurors while Hermione had set about training to be a healer. For almost two years the pair had dated quite happily, fitting their romance in around their respective careers, and when Ron had proposed, Hermione hadn't hesitated in accepting. The pair were then married a few months later in a quiet, intimate ceremony attended by their close friends and family.

Ron's wedding day was the happiest day of his life, and just thinking about it gave him butterflies. Dropping the invitation onto the bed, Ron picked up the picture that stood on his bedside table. The picture was of him and Hermione on their wedding day, and just looking at it you could see how happy and in love the couple had been. Ron just wished he could go back in time and recapture that happiness, before everything went wrong and he ended up losing the most important person in his life.

As he looked back now, Ron could see how he'd started to take Hermione for granted after they were married. He'd no longer put the effort into their relationship, and he had often cancelled plans with his wife at the last moment. Ron could now see what a neglectful husband he'd turned into, but at the time, he'd had no idea of the cracks that had begun to show in his marriage. He'd carried on thinking everything was perfect, and he'd blamed Hermione for the change in their relationship when she began to work longer hours. Of course, he now knew Hermione had worked longer hours to make up for his neglect, but at the time he'd been convinced that it was her pulling away from him.

As a result, it meant their marriage had gone through a particularly bad patch. Hermione had tried to get Ron to see that he was the one who'd pulled away from her first, but he'd been adamant that Hermione had been the one to start neglecting him. The rows had not been pretty, and while Hermione had thrown herself into her work, Ron had taken to spending evenings in pubs, drowning his sorrows.

After one particularly vicious row, when an upset Hermione had told Ron she regretted marrying him, Ron had made the biggest mistake of his life. Instead of trying to prove to Hermione that she'd made the right decision marrying him, he'd stormed off and gotten so drunk he'd ended up sleeping with another witch, their former classmate, Lisa Turpin. Ron had been wracked with guilt when he'd awoken the next morning and discovered his betrayal, and after making Lisa promise to keep their liaison secret, he'd returned to Hermione, vowing to be the best husband she could ever want.

For a couple of months, his fresh attitude had really worked and Ron had been hopeful that the worst was behind him. But then Lisa had turned up at his home one Sunday afternoon and dropped the bombshell that she was pregnant. Hermione had understandably been devastated, and she'd thrown Ron out there and then. Ron had tried to explain to Hermione that it had just been a one-time thing and it meant nothing, but it didn't matter. He'd broken her heart, and Hermione had made it clear there was no going back for them.

As it turned out, Hermione had meant every word and barely a month after the revelations that he'd gotten another witch pregnant, she hit him with divorce papers. Divorce wasn't something done a lot in the wizarding world, and their separation had made headlines and caused shock waves in the wizarding world. Ron's mother, Molly, had been particularly vocal about her disapproval of the divorce. In her opinion, a couple worked through their problems, they didn't just end things when it got tricky. However, Hermione was adamant her relationship with Ron was over, and even though it took several months, she pressed on with the divorce and even though it wasn't what he wanted, Ron found himself without a wife. He even lost Hermione as a friend as no sooner had the divorce been finalised, then Hermione had left the country, never to be seen again.

At the same time as losing Hermione, he'd also gained a son, Hugo, who was now fourteen. Despite everything fathering a child with Lisa had cost him, Ron loved Hugo, and over the years his children had become the centre of his universe. He'd never moved on from Hermione, and he'd never once been serious enough with another witch to even consider living together, let alone marrying her. Over the years he had indulged in an on-off again relationship with Lisa, which resulted in them having a second child, six year old Rose. Although, even with two children together, Ron refused to bow to the pressure both Lisa and his mother put on him to make the union official. Deep down, he was still in love with Hermione, and he harboured hopes of reuniting with his former wife.

Ron still had his job as an Auror, and his family, but without Hermione, he felt as though part of him was missing. Even his two children had never been able to fill the missing hole in his life. But now with the reunion around the corner, he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to get a second chance of happiness. Maybe if Hermione was still single, they could rekindle their flame. After all, they had once loved each other once, so what was to say they couldn't do so again?

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Sitting propped up against the dressing table in his bedroom, the invitation to the school reunion seemed to mock Draco Malfoy. A return to Hogwarts was the last thing Draco wanted, and he doubted there would be anyone at the reunion that wanted to see him. He'd only ever had a band of Slytherins as his friends, and he was still in contact with all of them. So why would he want to go and spend the evening with a bunch of people who hadn't even liked him in school?

As if summoned by the direction of his thoughts, the answer emerged from the bathroom in the form of his beautiful wife, Hermione Granger. The truth was, Hermione was the only reason he was even considering attending the event the following weekend. His wife wanted to attend the reunion, and since he would give Hermione anything she wanted, Draco knew he would also be attending the reunion. He just wished he knew just what was pushing Hermione into attending.

Since they're received the invitation two weeks ago, Hermione had been pretty adamant that she wanted to attend the reunion. She claimed it was because her years at Hogwarts had been happy ones, and she wanted to see the people she went to school with and see what they had made of their lives, but Draco was worried in case it was something else. He was worried in case the reason she wanted to attend was her ex-husband, Ron Weasley.

Draco knew all about Hermione's past with Ron. He knew his wife had loved her first husband despite their differences, and he also knew that if Ron hadn't been foolish enough to cheat on her that they might even still have been together. Not that Draco didn't think that Hermione loved him, as he knew she did, but he always worried that her connection with her first husband would trump the one they had.

As he lay in bed, watching Hermione get ready to join him, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they went to reunion and Hermione decided she wanted to be with Ron. It would break Draco to lose Hermione, as she was the love of his life, and he honestly couldn't imagine his life without her in. Draco shivered at the thought of losing his precious wife, a movement that caught Hermione's eye through the mirror.

"Cold?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at her husband.

"No, just thinking," Draco replied with a stiff smile.

"About the reunion?" Hermione asked, turning around and getting to feet.

"How can you tell?" Draco asked. Even after ten years together, six of them married, he was still surprised by Hermione's ability to read him like a book. Most people said he was unreadable, which was something of a Malfoy trait, but Hermione just had to look at him to know exactly what was on his mind.

"Because I know you," Hermione replied, shrugging and causing the thin strap of her silk negligee to slide down her shoulder. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"You want to go, so we're going," Draco insisted. "Besides, everyone else has already said they're going."

By everyone else, he meant his Slytherin friends. Most of the group had welcomed Hermione with open arms when she'd started dating Draco, and even the few who had been hesitant about her, had realised that she made Draco happy, so they'd also accepted her. These days, Hermione got on pretty well with his friends.

"I still don't want to do anything that will make you unhappy," Hermione said as she crawled onto the bed and straddled Draco. "We can skip the reunion and have a night to ourselves if you would rather. Your parents have agreed to watch Scorpius and Lyra, so we'd be child free."

Scorpius was their mischievous four year old son, while Lyra was their gorgeous little eighteen month old daughter, and both children were doted on by their parents, grandparents and friends of the family. It had already been arranged that Lucius and Narcissa would have the children for the evening so that Draco and Hermione could attend the reunion.

"I'm sure Mother and Father could look after the children another night so we can have a night just the two of us," Draco said. "After all, we are back in England for a week."

The Malfoys actually lived in France, and only ever visited England when they were visiting their parents. Draco had moved to France after the war, and the press attention that was making his attempts to move on and forget the murky past impossible, while Hermione had moved to the country following her divorce from Ron. She'd needed a fresh start where people weren't interested in her broken marriage and her war heroine past. What she'd found was a country who didn't care who she was, and a second chance of love with Draco, whom she ran into at the hospital where she worked.

"So you want to go to the reunion?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"You know I really couldn't care less about the reunion," Draco replied. "But I know you want to go, and I'm going to be there to support you."

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling at her husband before she leant down and gently pressed her lips against his. "And you have nothing to worry about. I want to see my friends, not Ron."

"How did you know?" Draco asked with a frown. He never mentioned her ex-husband as he'd never wanted Hermione to know how terrified he was that she would leave him.

"Because I know you," Hermione repeated, gently running her fingers through Draco's soft hair. "I know you're worried about Ron, and that he's the reason I want to attend the reunion."

"And he's not?"

"Of course he's not," Hermione stated firmly. "I could happily live the rest of my life without ever seeing Ron Weasley again. But I did have other friends, and I haven't seen them since I left England. I exchange the odd card with Neville and Luna, but I haven't even spoken to the likes of Harry since I moved to France."

"He did take Weasley's side in your break-up," Draco pointed out.

"He didn't really," Hermione replied with a shrug. "He was just stuck in the middle, married to Ron's sister. I couldn't expect him to side with me. He was stuck in an impossible situation, and I just made things easier for him by leaving. I didn't force him to choose because it wasn't fair on Harry."

"He still could have wrote," Draco muttered.

"Maybe," Hermione agreed. "But I could have wrote to him, but I never did. Sometimes people just drift apart. But even so, it would be nice to reconnect for one night."

"Will it just be the one night?" Draco asked as he ran his hands up Hermione's legs, idly wondering if sex was on the menu that night. Although considering it was something they did almost every night, he would be very surprised if they went to sleep without first making love.

"More than likely," Hermione replied with a nod. "Things can't go back to how they were, too much has changed. Besides, my life is here in France with you and the children. You're my life, Draco, you, Scorpius and Lyra. I don't want to go back, not to England and most certainly not to Ron."

"But you did love him," Draco said sadly.

"I did," Hermione confirmed. Despite everything, she couldn't deny that she had loved Ron and that he'd been her first love. "You know I did, but I don't love him anymore. I haven't loved him for a long time. I love you, Draco. I'm in love with you. Nothing will ever change that. Ron may have been my first love, but you're my true love."

"I love you, too," Draco said quietly. Confessing his love to Hermione was something he rarely did, as he found his emotions hard to express at times, but he liked to think he showed Hermione how much he loved her every day. She was his world, and he hated to think that she didn't know how much she meant to him.

"I know you do," Hermione said with a smile, as she reconnected their lips and ended their conversation as they set about showing each other just how much they loved one another.

Words may not have been Draco's forte, but his actions showed her just how much he loved and worshipped her. Hermione knew she really couldn't ask for a better husband. After Ron her heart had been broken, and she'd never thought she would love again, but then Draco had re-entered her life and shown her that there was life after Ron Weasley. He'd not only mended her heart, but he'd made it stronger, and Hermione knew the love she shared with Draco was far more reliable than what she'd had with Ron. At the end of the day, she and Draco were just a much better match, and her second marriage was so much stronger, and so much happier, than her first. Ron Weasley was her past, and Draco Malfoy was her present and future, of that Hermione was certain.


	2. Chapter 2

The Hogwarts reunion was taking place in a fancy hotel in the countryside a few miles away from London. The organisers of the reunion, the Patil twins, Padma and Parvati, had tried to hold the reunion at their former school, but the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall had politely declined their request. With Hogwarts out of the question, a large hotel was selected as the venue and the twins had hired the hotel's biggest ballroom for the occasion. After all, the location didn't really matter, it was the old friends that people would be turning up to see.

On the evening of the reunion, Ron was among the first guests to arrive. Even though he knew Lisa would be attending the reunion, he'd chosen to attend with Harry and Ginny, rather than turning up with the mother of his children. Ginny had wanted to arrive early so they could see everyone arrive, which was how Harry and Ron found themselves standing in a practically empty ballroom.

"The place looks impressive," Ginny remarked as she looked around the ballroom they were in.

The room was nearly twice the size of The Great Hall, and one wall held large floor to ceiling windows that were open so that people could explore the grounds. A bar had been set up in the corner, while several tables sat against the wall, laden down with food. Quiet music was playing in the ballroom, but there was a dancefloor, indicating the music might get louder as the evening progressed. Also dotted around the room were several tables, so people could sit and chat, rather than spend the night standing around or wandering the ballroom.

"It must have cost Parvati and Padma a bomb to organise this evening," Harry remarked.

"I'm sure they can afford it," Ginny replied with a casual shrug.

Since leaving school the twins had set up their own fashion business, and the pair were raking in the money. Parvati was the designer, while Padma provided the business brain. Together the pair were a big success, and Ginny would bet that at least a couple of their dresses would be on display that evening. Ginny herself had even considered wearing one of the numbers she'd bought from the twins bespoke shop in Diagon Alley, but in the end she'd gone with a new sweeping black and silver dress that highlighted her slender figure.

While Harry and Ginny wondered how much it had cost the twins to host the reunion, Ron looked around as the room started to fill up. Despite not having seen a lot of his classmates in years, he still recognized most of them as they entered the room. He spotted Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws that he hadn't seen for over a decade, along with Gryffindors that he still saw fairly regularly. He even spotted a few Slytherins making an appearance.

Half an hour after Ron, Harry and Ginny had arrived, the trio were settled on a table, chatting to Neville Longbottom and his pregnant wife, Luna Lovegood. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were also sitting at the table, regaling their friends of stories from their bar that they owned together. Not that Ron was really listening as he kept watching the doors so he wouldn't miss Hermione's entrance. He'd already seen Lisa arrive, and he'd managed to brush her off as she got distracted about seeing an old classmate she hadn't spoken to in years. However, there was still no sign of Hermione.

Just as Ron was wondering if Hermione was even going to show, he witnessed three former Slytherins entering the room. Daphne Greengrass swept into the room looking stunning in a deep sapphire gown, and on her arm looking equally as handsome was her husband, Blaise Zabini. With the couple was Draco Malfoy, looking every bit the rich pureblood in an expensive black suit.

To be honest, Ron was shocked that Draco had even considered attending the reunion after everything that had happened during school and the war. Granted after the war, Draco had received a pardon from the Ministry, and even Ron had admitted that the blond Slytherin hadn't deserved to go to prison. Ron had never quite being as sympathetic towards Draco as Harry and Hermione had been, in fact they'd both testified in Draco's defence at his trial, but even he could admit that his enemy had been through a traumatic couple of years and deserved a second chance. However, he still didn't expect him to turn up to a reunion where chances were the only people he would talk to were the Slytherins he was still friends with.

Ron watched the Slytherin trio as they joined up with Pansy Parkinson, Theo Nott and Gregory Goyle, before switching his attention back to the doors. He wasn't going to find Hermione by watching the Slytherins. He was just hoping that Hermione turned up, and the reunion wasn't going to be a complete waste of time. After all, Hermione was the only reason he was at the reunion. If there hadn't been the chance that Ron would run into his ex-wife, he wouldn't have bothered with the reunion. He was just hoping that he hadn't wasted an evening that he could have spent with his two children.

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Arriving at the hotel where the reunion was taking place, Hermione wished she hadn't told Draco to go on ahead of her. Ten minutes before the couple had been due to leave the manor, where they were staying for the week, Scorpius had woken up from a bad dream and had kicked up a fuss for Hermione to see to him. Since Draco and Hermione had been due to meet Blaise and Daphne so they could attend the reunion together, Hermione had sent her husband on to meet their friends, with the promise she would be along as soon as she could. It had actually taken longer than she'd thought to settle Scorpius, so now Hermione was over an hour late and she wished she had her husband at her side.

As much as Hermione wanted to attend the reunion and see some people she hadn't seen for years, she was also nervous about seeing certain people. There was a good chance Ron would be at the reunion, as well as Lisa Turpin, and even though Hermione had long since gotten over Ron, she could still remember the pain his deceit had caused her. Even with her experiences in the war, her worst memory was still the day Lisa had turned up at their house and announced she was carrying Ron's child. And while Hermione had moved on with her life, and she was happier than she'd ever been, being back in England had brought the past to the forefront of her mind.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself for what lay ahead, Hermione smoothed down her strapless turquoise dress and adjusted the silk shawl she had wrapped around her arms. The years had been good to Hermione, and she knew at nearly forty she looked better than she had as a teenager. Not only had Hermione's sense of style improved, as well as the time she took on her appearance on big nights like these, but her confidence had skyrocketed over the last decade. She was completely comfortable in her skin, and while she knew she would never be considered as beautiful as the likes of Daphne, she was still happy with how she looked.

With her nerves under control, Hermione pushed open the doors that advertised the reunion. Entering the ballroom she was greeted with a festive atmosphere. Music was playing in the background, and a few couples were dancing, but most people were milling around or sitting at the tables, chatting to old friends. Scanning the room, Hermione spotted a bar, tables full of food and open doors that led to what looked like firefly lit gardens.

She also spotted her husband sitting at a corner table with his friends. Hermione shot Draco a smile, and was just about to head his way when Neville Longbottom appeared at her side.

"Hermione," He greeted with a wide smile.

"Neville," Hermione cried, giving her old friend a hug. "You're looking great."

"You too," Neville said, giving Hermione an admiring once over. "You're gorgeous, Hermione."

"I wouldn't go that far, Neville," Hermione chuckled. "So how are you? And how's Luna?"

"I'm fine, and why don't you ask Luna herself, she's over there." Neville jabbed his thumb over his shoulder to where his wife was sitting and when Hermione glanced over she found Luna was sitting at a table with Harry, Ginny and Ron.

Ginny, Harry and Luna hadn't seemed to notice her presence yet, but Ron was staring her way. Deciding it was better to face her past head on, rather than wait for Ron to approach her later, Hermione accompanied Neville over to the table.

"Hermione," Luna squealed excitedly, jumping up the second she saw Hermione.

"Woah, Luna," Hermione gasped, struggling to hug her old friend due to her very pregnant state. She was trying to remember if either Neville or Luna had mentioned a pregnancy last time they exchanged correspondence, but considering she wasn't sure how long ago that was, she suspected they hadn't been in touch since Luna had fallen pregnant. "Congratulations, when are you due?"

"Three weeks," Luna answered with a nervous smile.

"And we can't wait to meet them both," Neville said, placing his hand on Luna's protruding stomach as he smiled at his wife.

"Twins, how amazing," Hermione said.

"Amazing but hard work," Ginny added.

Hermione turned to her former friend and smiled at the redhead. "Hello Ginny, it's nice to see you again."

"You too, Hermione," Ginny replied with a smile, although Hermione noticed she made no effort to get up to greet her.

Harry on the other hand was a different matter, and he not only got out of his seat, but he crossed over to where Hermione was standing and wrapped her up in his arms.

"I've missed you so much," He confessed.

"I've missed you too," Hermione said, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. Now she was in Harry's arms, it hit her just how much he meant to her and just how much she'd missed him over the last fourteen years.

"Although, you're looking amazing," Harry added with a grin as he pulled back and admired Hermione.

"Thank you, you're not too bad yourself," Hermione returned with a smile. It was true that Harry was looking good, and like her, he seemed to get better with age.

"Such flattery," Harry laughed as he retook his seat next to Ginny, who was scowling slightly at the interaction she'd just witnessed. "Are you joining us?"

Instead of answering immediately, Hermione glanced at Ron, who was watching her expectantly. She then flicked her eyes across the room, to where her husband was sitting with his friends, but his focus was entirely on her. She knew that one gesture from her would have Draco at her side in an instant. But since the whole point of the reunion was to visit with her old friends, she shot her husband a quick reassuring smile before sitting down at one of the spare seats next to Luna.

"Hello, Hermione," Ron said quietly, still gazing at his ex-wife and thinking how stunning she looked.

"Ronald," Hermione returned with a slight incline of her head. "Are you well?"

"I am," Ron answered. "Are you?"

"I'm just fine," Hermione answered.

"I would say more than just fine, isn't that dress a designer one?" Ginny asked. When she'd known Hermione, the brunette witch hadn't owned one designer piece, but she would swear that she was now sitting in a dress made by a famous French designer.

"It is," Hermione answered, not elaborating any further as she turned back to Neville and Luna. "So are you looking forward to being parents?"

"We can't wait," Luna answered. "It's what I've always dreamed of, a family of my own."

"Nothing beats your own family," Harry agreed. "I feel my life was only complete when we had children."

"How many do you have?" Hermione asked, pleased that Harry had ended up with the family he'd so desperately wanted when he was growing up.

"Three. Do you want to see a picture?" Without waiting for an answer, Harry pulled his wallet out of his pocket and flipping it open he handed it over to Hermione with a picture of his three children on display.

Hermione took the wallet and was confronted by an adorable picture of two boys who looked like mini replicas of Harry, and a gorgeous little girl who had Ginny's red hair and Harry's sparkling emerald green eyes. In the picture the little girl looked to be about one, while one of the boys looked slightly older, while the other one seemed to be four or five.

"They're lovely," Hermione said with a smile.

"It's an old picture, they're all much older now," Harry replied with a chuckle. "James is the eldest and he's nearly twelve. Albus is nine and Lily is eight."

"I bet they're just as lovely now," Hermione said as she handed the wallet back to her friend. "And does James take after his parents at school?"

"He's a Gryffindor," Ginny confirmed with a proud grin. "Just like his cousin."

"Your son's also a Gryffindor?" Hermione asked Ron politely. It seemed rude to freeze him out of the conversation, but really Hermione wasn't all that bothered about her ex-husband and his son.

"Yeah, Hugo's a Gryffindor," Ron answered, pride written all over his face.

Hermione smiled and nodded politely, all the while feeling sorry for the poor little mite who had been lumbered with the name Hugo. Then again, she supposed some people would think Scorpius wasn't the best name, but in her opinion it was far better than Hugo, which was a very stuffy name.

"Although it was touch and go with his mother being a Ravenclaw," Ginny said. "Hugo is very bright, and he could have easily been in Ravenclaw."

"I suppose that's the thing when the parents are from different houses, a child can't follow in both of their footsteps," Hermione said. Even though Scorpius and Lyra wouldn't go to Hogwarts, she was fairly sure her son would have been in Slytherin as he was just like his father.

"How long are you staying, Hermione?" Neville asked, deciding it was safer to change the subject away from the child that had caused the breakdown of his friend's marriage.

"Just the week," Hermione answered.

"No plans to move back home?" Luna asked.

"No, we're perfectly happy where we are," Hermione replied with a smile.

"We?" Ron frowned, not liking the wording Hermione had used and trying to get a look at her left hand, which was annoyingly out of his line of sight.

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but before she got a word out she felt a presence behind her and when she turned round she found Lisa Turpin, wearing a plunging deep blue dress. Giving Hermione a small smile, Lisa said hello before she turned to Ron and leant over the table slightly to give him a view down her dress.

"I forgot to say, when I dropped Hugo and Rose off with your mother, she said she would have them for the entire night," Lisa said. "We're free to have a whole night of freedom."

"Rose?" Hermione questioned.

"Our daughter," Lisa supplied. "She's just turned six."

"Congratulations, I'm pleased things worked out for the pair of you," Hermione said tightly as she got to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I need a drink. I'm sure I'll see you all later."

"Hermione," Ron called as his former wife turned and walked away from the table.

Even though she heard his shout, Hermione ignored Ron and carried on towards the bar. She was shocked to hear that Ron had ended up having a second child with Lisa, considering he'd sworn to her that their liaison was a one off, but she supposed it made sense that they'd gotten together for the sake of their son. Although, even though she'd gotten over Ron years ago and had moved on herself, she still found she didn't want to hear details of his new life. The life that had ultimately cost Hermione her first marriage.

Getting to the front of the queue, Hermione ordered a drink just as she felt someone come up behind her. Within seconds she knew it was Draco as the scent of his familiar aftershave hit her, and his warm hand settled on the base of her back, while he leant in to whisper in her ear.

"Hello, sexy. Can I buy you a drink?"

Laughing lightly, Hermione turned to face her husband. "I think the drinks are free."

"All the better, I can ply you with free booze and take advantage of you," Draco smirked.

"Take advantage of me?" Hermione teased, leaning into Draco. "I'm not that sort of witch, Malfoy."

"A few hours with me and you will be," Draco replied. "Since this is a hotel, I took the liberty of booking a room for the night."

"I take it that means your parents aren't expecting us back tonight?" Hermione laughed.

"No," Draco answered. "Is that a problem?"

"Not really," Hermione replied. "I think a debauched night in a fancy hotel is just what I need."

"Oh, debauched? I'll have to see what I can do," Draco laughed.

As Hermione and Draco flirted with each other, they were oblivious of the murderous stares coming their way from Ron. They were also oblivious to the redhead leaving his seat and stalking over to the couple. The first they knew of Ron's presence, was when he roughly yanked Draco around by the shoulder and landed a surprise fist to the blond's face.

"Keep your hands off my wife, Malfoy," Ron snarled as Draco went flying to the floor and the reunion came to an abrupt halt as people turned to see what all the drama was about. Little did they know the drama was just beginning, and there was more to come than just Ron thumping Draco.


	3. Chapter 3

Ron's actions took Hermione so much by surprise that for a moment, she just stood beside the bar in a daze. However, the sight of her husband lying sprawled on the floor, blood pouring from his nose, jolted her into action. Quick as a flash, she knelt down beside Draco, concern for her husband written all over her face.

"Are you okay, Draco?"

"I guess so," Draco muttered, glaring at Ron. "No thanks to that blasted Weasel."

"What the hell are you playing at Ronald?" Hermione seethed, turning her attention to her ex-husband, who was still glaring hatefully at Draco.

As she moved her head, Hermione realised that the other people who had been at the bar had backed away slightly, but a semi-circle had formed around them. Ginny and Harry were standing not far behind Ron, with Harry looking furious and Ginny looking as though she was enjoying the show. Hermione was also aware of Draco's friends hovering nearby, no doubt ready to spring into action if Draco needed them.

"Someone should have done that a long time ago," Ron spat.

"In case it slipped your attention, Weasley, someone did," Draco said as he got to his feet, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his face. "Or don't you remember third year when your lovely ex-wife hit me? Although, I'll tell you this, she hits harder than you."

"Funny, it looked to me like you were sprawled on the floor like the loser you are," Ron retorted, trying to ignore the sniggering that was taking place at Draco's put down.

"Only because you caught me by surprise," Draco hissed. "Try hitting me now and we'll see who comes out on top."

"No," Hermione interjected, moving between the two wizards before a fight could break out. "There will be no fighting."

"Spoilsport," someone from the back of the group called. Hermione thought it might have been Zacharias Smith, but she couldn't be sure.

"Are you going to explain, Ron?" Hermione demanded. "Or do you make a habit of hitting people you haven't seen in twenty years?"

"That git deserved it," Ron snarled. "We all know what he is."

"And just what is that?" Draco asked, bristling with anger. He worked hard to put his past behind him and it always annoyed him when people brought it up and implied he hadn't changed, especially when it was someone who didn't even know him these days.

"A Death Eater," Ron spat. "A scum sucking, Death Eater."

"You're right, I was a Death Eater," Draco answered loudly. Slinging off his jacket and throwing it to Blaise, he rolled the sleeve up on his shirt and flashed his faded Dark Mark to the gathered crowds. "There you go proof, I was a Death Eater if anyone needed it. It doesn't matter that I didn't take the mark willingly though, does it? It doesn't matter if I was a scared sixteen year old boy, dragged from my bed in the middle of the night and branded by the darkest wizard our world has ever known, before spending the night being tortured and watching my mother receive the same treatment. It doesn't matter that I was under the threat of death to carry out his wishes. All you see is my mark, and think you know me. Well, I'm telling you, Weasley, you don't know me. Judge all you like, but I know the truth, and I know that in my heart I was never a Death Eater."

Draco's speech was met by cheers, starting with the Slytherins and emanating outwards. Ron scowled at Draco, annoyed that he'd gotten the crowds on his side, while Hermione looked at her husband with pride. She knew just how much it had taken for her husband to admit to some of the things that had happened in his past in public. Draco rarely talked about his late teenage years, so she knew it wasn't easy for him to tell everyone just how he'd been branded with the Dark Mark.

"So basically, you hit me because of this," Draco said, thrusting his arm towards Ron. "And they say I'm bigoted."

"I didn't hit you because of the mark," Ron muttered. "I hit you because you had your hands over my wife."

"Excuse me, but I am not your wife," Hermione snapped. "I haven't been your wife for a long time, Ron."

"You'll always be my wife, Hermione," Ron retorted. "I don't care what the law says, in my eyes you're still my wife and I still love you."

"I'm sorry Ron, but you know I don't love you anymore," Hermione said, genuinely shocked that Ron still held a candle for her despite having moved on with Lisa.

"Funny, but that was one thing you never said to me when we broke up," Ron said with a hopeful smile. "You said many things, but you never said you'd fallen out of love with me."

"That's because I hadn't," Hermione answered. "Not at the time anyway," She added quickly when Ron's face lit up. "But even though I still loved you, I knew our marriage was over. You broke my heart and betrayed me in the worst possible way. I could never have forgiven you for that."

"You could have if you'd tried," Ron argued. "I told you at the time, it meant nothing to me. I was drunk and foolish, I don't even remember the sex so it can't have been any good."

"You bastard," Lisa hissed, barging past the crowds and landing a stinging slap to Ron's face. "You might not be able to remember our first night together, but let me tell you, you were begging for it. It was as though you hadn't had sex in months. And you can't say you can't remember every single time we've been together over the last fourteen years. You can say what you like Ron, but we both know the sex is amazing. Why else do you keep coming back for more?"

"Because you're there, because you're easy," Ron answered, rubbing at his face. "I'm sorry Lisa, I don't love you and I never have. We both know we have no future together."

"Now I do," Lisa said sadly. "I've wasted fourteen years hoping you would see what was right in front of you. We could be everything you ever wanted Ron, me, Hugo and Rose. If only you'd let us in. But no, you're too hung up on your ex-wife. An ex you haven't seen for fourteen years I might add. You may still be hung up on her, but she's not bothered about you."

"That's not true," Ron insisted as Lisa turned and stalked out of the party. "Tell them it's not true, Hermione."

"I'm sorry Ron, but it's true," Hermione said. "I fell out of love with you a long time ago. I might have still loved you when I left you, but I don't love you anymore."

"We can fix that," Ron said determinedly. "We can reignite the passion."

"I don't think so, Weasley," Draco said, sliding his arm around Hermione's waist.

"Get your hands off my wife, Malfoy," Ron screamed, this time going for his wand rather than lashing out with his fists.

"I haven't got my hands on your wife," Draco answered with a smirk. "I've got my hands on my wife."

"Your wife," Ron repeated dumbly as shocked gasps rippled around the gathered crowds.

"Yes, my wife," Draco reiterated.

"How? Why?" Ron spluttered, turning back to Hermione. "What the hell were you thinking, getting involved with Malfoy?"

"I was thinking, here's a man who loves me. A man who won't betray me and break my heart," Hermione answered. "You have no idea the damage you did to me, Ron. Because of you, I didn't trust anyone. Because of what you did to me, I tried to push Draco away. We were together months before I would even spend the night with him. When he proposed the first time, I turned him down. Not because I didn't want to marry him, but because you'd left me so broken that I didn't think I could cope with another marriage. Luckily for me, Draco really loves me and he didn't let me push him away. He proved to me that not all men are cheating bastards, and he could be trusted. Even now he puts up with me asking him where he's been and what he's being doing, even when he's already told me. He understands that because of you, it doesn't matter how much I trust him, there's always that fear deep down that I'll end up broken again. You broke me Ron, but Draco fixed me. His love fixed me, and the best day of my life was the day I became Mrs Malfoy."

Turning to her husband, Hermione reached up and gave him a sweet kiss as Ron let out a choked sob when a few people whistled and cheered at the sight of the couple sharing a tender moment.

"No, you can't do this," Ron whispered. "You don't belong with him, you belong with me."

"You had your chance and you blew it, Weasley," Draco declared. "You were the luckiest wizard alive when you had Hermione, and yet you threw her away. You were a rat bastard Weasel who broke her heart, and quite frankly, you never deserved her in the first place."

"And you do?" Ron snorted.

"Hell no," Draco replied with a smirk. "I know I don't deserve someone as amazing as Hermione. But you know the difference between us, Weasley? I'm not foolish enough to let her go. Now I've got Hermione, I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure I keep her."

"You're welcome to her," Ron spat, knowing that it was over and he stood no chance or reconciling with his ex-wife. "I wouldn't take her back now if she begged me. She's used goods now she'd been shagging a Malfoy."

"You git," Draco hissed, and before anyone could stop him he pulled back his fist and punched Ron squarely in the face, sending the redhead flying back into the crowds.

"Draco," Hermione scolded as her husband shook his hand to help with the stinging sensation punching Ron had caused. Even though she sounded annoyed, she wasn't, if anything she was flattered Draco had defended her honour.

"You'll pay for that, Malfoy," Ron yelled as he staggered back to his feet.

"Want a fight, do you, Weasley?" Blaise asked, stepping out of the crowds with Theo and Greg at his side.

The sight of the three Slytherins had Ron backing up slightly. He wasn't opposed to taking on one Slytherin, but he didn't fancy taking on a whole group of them.

"Perhaps it time you called it a night, Ron," Padma said politely from where she was standing with a frown on her pretty face.

"You're kicking me out?" Ron questioned in bewilderment. "But he hit me."

"You started this, not Draco," Padma replied with a shrug. "Although, if there's any more punches thrown, I will end this party now."

"You won't get any trouble from us," Hermione said. "We just want to enjoy the rest of the evening."

"If that's the way you all feel, I'm going," Ron snarled angrily. "And stuff the lot of you. I couldn't stand most of you in school, and you're even worse now. The whole lot of you can just go to hell."

Pushing his way through the crowds, Ron made a dramatic departure. With Ron gone, Hermione thought the drama was over, but no sooner had the redhead left the room than Ginny stepped into his shoes.

"I hope you're happy, Hermione," She hissed.

"And just what have I supposedly done now?" Hermione asked with a sigh.

"You've ruined the Weasley name," Ginny seethed.

"I didn't think there was anything to ruin," Pansy called with a cruel laugh.

"You have no idea what you did to us by divorcing Ron," Ginny continued, ignoring Pansy. "Divorce just isn't done in our world, and you tainted our name. We will forever be known as the family who suffered a divorce. And now you've just made it a hundred times worse by marrying Malfoy. Now, not only will we be the family with the nasty divorce, we'll also be the family tainted by the Malfoys. Ron will always be known as the wizard whose wife ran off with Malfoy."

"I did not run off with Draco, we met years after I left Ron," Hermione pointed out. "And quite frankly Ginny, I couldn't care less what people think of your family. None of this would have happened if Ron hadn't been unfaithful. So if you're looking for someone to blame, I suggest you look at your precious brother. He's the cause of all this trouble, not me."

"Maybe he wouldn't have had to go elsewhere if you weren't such a frigid cow," Ginny snarled. "At least Lisa knows how to have a laugh. Unlike you, you uptight, miserable bitch."

Despite Padma's warning about more violence, Hermione couldn't help herself as she stepped forward and gave Ginny a long overdue slap. The sound resounded across the room as Ginny's head snapped back sharply at the impact. Immediately, Ginny raised her arm to retaliate, but Harry stepped forward and grabbed his wife's wrist.

"That is enough," He hissed angrily. He was appalled by both Ron and Ginny, and he'd never been more ashamed of his wife and brother-in-law.

"She hit me Harry," Ginny whined.

"And I'm sure she regrets it," Harry said, looking at Hermione, who in turn shot Ginny a smile that was anything but apologetic. "But you said you horrible things, Ginny. I think we all just need to draw a line under things and move on."

"Moving on sounds good to me," Hermione said.

Giving Harry a polite nod, knowing she'd likely never see him again, Hermione took hold of Draco's hand and led him back over to the table where he'd been sitting with his friends. As Harry and Ginny left, and the party got back into full swing, Hermione cleaned the blood from her husband's face and fixed his broken nose.

"Honestly, I can't take you anywhere," She joked, giving him a quick kiss.

"Sorry," Draco apologised. "But I wasn't going to stand there and let that bastard insult you."

"Don't tell anyone, but I thought it was very hot," Hermione whispered in her husband's ear. "It was very sexy, you defending my honour like that."

"Very sexy? Does that mean you're in a good mood?" Draco asked, wondering how soon they could leave and make use of the room he'd booked for the night.

"I'm sure in a few hours' time, with a few more drinks inside me, I'll be in a very good mood," Hermione purred. "Now can I trust you to go and get us some drinks?"

"I'll be on my best behaviour, I promise," Draco vowed.

Giving his wife a kiss, Draco went to grab them some fresh drinks. By the time he returned to the table, all his friends were settled down with Hermione, and the group had a whale of a time drinking and laughing for the rest of the evening, before Draco and Hermione retired to their room for the night where they carried on the private celebrations. The rest of the reunion also had a great time, and thanks to the Malfoys and the Weasleys they'd had some unexpected fireworks. It had certainly been a class reunion to remember, and they doubted any other reunion could match it for drama and entertainment.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron awoke to a pounding headache, and a whole host of regrets. Groaning at the appalling show he'd made of himself the previous evening the redhead dragged himself out of bed and stumbled groggily to the bathroom, where he drowned a whole bottle of hangover potion. After leaving the reunion the previous evening, Ron had come home and got well and truly drunk, and now he was seriously regretting both his actions at the reunion and the binge drinking he'd indulged in after that.

"Stupid git," Ron muttered to his reflection, frowning when he spotted his right eye was sporting a bruise, more than likely from the punch Draco had thrown his way.

Fixing the bruise so it couldn't be seen, Ron hopped into the shower. By the time he'd showered and dressed, his headache had departed, but his regrets remained. He couldn't believe he'd made such a fool of himself. Nor could he believe he'd been so horrid to both Hermione and Lisa, not to mention the embarrassing way he'd left the reunion, shouting at innocent bystanders. Ron was well and truly humiliated, and he doubted anything he could say or do would wipe out his actions and words of the previous evening.

Ron may have been filled with regrets, but at the same time, his delusions about Hermione had been shattered. In the cold light of day, Ron could see how stupid he'd been for the last fourteen years. Instead of moving on with his life, as Hermione had rightly done, he'd sat around clinging to the past, convincing himself that he could get back the wife he'd loved so dearly. Of course, Ron could now see that if he'd ever truly thought he stood a chance with Hermione, he would have gone after her long ago, not waited until fate brought her back to his door. Maybe the reason he'd avoided chasing after Hermione was that deep down he'd always known that he'd blown it and there was no way she would ever forgive him and take him back, but he just hadn't wanted to admit such a thing and instead he'd wasted the last decade of his life mooning over someone he was never going to have.

Ron was still baffled with Hermione's choice of husband, and he really didn't want to dwell on his ex-wife's new marriage, but at the same time a part of him was happy that she'd moved on. He loved her enough to want her to be happy, he just wished it wasn't Draco Malfoy that was the one making her happy. But there was nothing he could do about it, and he knew enough to know the best thing he could do was stay away and let Hermione get on with her life in peace.

With Hermione's ghost finally laid to rest, Ron turned his thoughts to his own life. Like Hermione, he felt he deserved to be happy, and he was just realising that he could have been happy these last fourteen years. He could have been a proper family with Lisa and the children, but he'd just been far too stupid to realise it. He was just hoping it wasn't too late to fix things with Lisa. He knew he still didn't love Lisa the way he loved Hermione, in fact he doubted he would ever love anyone the way he loved Hermione, but he did care for her and she was the mother of his children.

Making the decision to try and salvage the mess that was his life, Ron headed to The Burrow, hoping Hugo and Rose were still there. Unfortunately, when he entered his childhood home there was no sign of his children, or any other children. The house was empty aside from his mother, Molly, sitting in the kitchen talking to Harry.

"Hey," Ron ventured quietly as he entered the room.

"Hello," Harry replied stiffly.

"I'm sorry about last night," Ron began.

"I don't know why you're apologising to me, I'm not the one you hurt," Harry interrupted. "I was merely your embarrassed best friend. Honestly, Ron, I've never been more ashamed of you."

"I know, I was appalling," Ron said with a sigh as he slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs. "Are the kids still here?" He asked his mother, eagerly.

"No," Molly answered, shooting his youngest son an unimpressed glare. Even though she'd called Hermione all sorts after she'd divorced Ron, and she strongly disapproved of her new marriage, she was totally humiliated by the scene her youngest son had caused the previous evening. "Lisa picked the children up last night. She was in floods of tears when she arrived here, I hope you know. You really hurt her, Ron, and all she's ever done is be there for you."

"I know," Ron whispered moodily.

Across the table, Harry bit his lip to stop himself from expressing a very different opinion to Molly. He actually felt bad for Lisa the way Ron had laid into her at the reunion, but in his opinion she wasn't exactly an innocent party in things. Firstly, she'd knowingly slept with a married man, and then when she'd discovered she was pregnant, she hadn't gone and spoken to Ron in private, she'd deliberately turned up at the couple's house and told Hermione. Harry couldn't help but think that it had been unnecessarily cruel to turn up and tell Hermione that she was expecting her husband's child, and Harry often wondered if Lisa had set out to split Ron and Hermione up. Although if her plan had been to nab Ron for herself, things hadn't been at all successful. Even having a second child together hadn't prompted Ron to make things official between them.

"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Ron asked his mother.

"I don't know," Molly answered. "She was awfully upset last night."

"And what about Hermione?" Ron questioned, turning to Harry.

"No, I don't think she'll forgive you Ron," Harry answered bluntly. "And quite honestly, I don't think she should forgive you. First you cheated on her and broke her heart, then the next time you see her, you humiliate her in public. I don't think any amount of apologies will make things right."

"But I should still try," Ron said.

"No," Harry said sharply. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Ginny, stay away from Hermione. She didn't deserve what either of you said to her last night, and honestly, I'm ashamed of the pair of you."

"I'm sorry Harry, but I need to apologize," Ron insisted.

"What you need to do is leave Hermione alone and let her get on with her life," Harry argued. "If you love her, you'll stay away. She's moved on Ron, and she's got a whole new life. She doesn't need you causing trouble for her. Just leave her in peace, Ron."

Reluctantly Ron nodded his head and agreed to stay away from Hermione. "But if you see her, apologise for me," he told Harry. "But now, I've got some apologises of my own to make."

"Good luck," Molly said with a smile as her son got to his feet.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it," Ron muttered.

Leaving The Burrow, Ron headed to the house he'd bought for Lisa and the children to live in. When he knocked on the door he half expected not to get an answer, but a subdued Lisa answered immediately and let him into the house.

"Where are Hugo and Rose?" Ron asked, noticing how still and quiet the house was.

"My mother's taken them out for the day," Lisa answered. "So you can say whatever you want to say and then leave."

"I'm sorry Lisa, I never should have said any of those things."

"No, you shouldn't," Lisa agreed sadly. "But you have, and you can't take them back."

"But I want to try," Ron pleaded. "Give me a chance, Lisa. Let us become the family we always should have been."

Lisa looked at Ron for a moment before shaking her head and laughing bitterly. "I'm not a consolation prize. You only want me because you've finally realised you can't have Hermione. I've been telling you it was over for years, but you never listened. But now you know she's with someone else, you think you can come crawling back to me and I'll welcome you with open arms."

"It's not like that," Ron protested weakly, knowing that things were exactly as Lisa had said, and chances were if he'd never been cured of his Hermione fixation, he wouldn't be standing here, begging her to give him a chance.

"It's exactly like that," Lisa said flatly. "And I'm sorry Ron, but our chance has gone. This won't affect anything in regards to the children. You're still their father, and we'll still share custody. But you and I are over. This is the end."

"I've really messed up, haven't I?" Ron asked sadly.

"Yes, you have," Lisa answered with a nod. "I'm sorry Ron, and I wish things were different, but I've spent fourteen years waiting for you and last night made me see that I've just been wasting my time. It's time for us both to move on. I really hope you find someone who makes you happy, but it won't be me."

Feeling defeated, Ron left Lisa's house and headed home. Settling down in his flat, he couldn't help but think about where things went wrong. How had he ended up all alone, with a broken marriage and two children with a witch he wasn't even in a relationship with? Where had he gone wrong with his life? Although deep down he knew where he'd gone wrong, Draco had pointed it out to everyone last night. Once upon a time he'd been lucky enough to have Hermione's love, and he'd stupidly thrown it away. Now, he had to live with the consequences of messing up the best thing that had ever happened to him. And worst of all, he had to do it knowing that Draco Malfoy was taking advantage of his mistake. His former enemy was living the life he should be living with the witch he loved, and there wasn't anything Ron could do about it. He'd had his chance and blown it, and something told him that Draco wouldn't blow his chance. He would hold onto Hermione, and the pair would grow old together, while he was stuck all alone with only his children to brighten his life.

* * *

 _ **...**_

* * *

After a romantic night at the hotel, Draco and Hermione had almost forgotten about the drama at the reunion. However, the previous night's dramas came back to them when they returned to the manor and found Draco's parents eager to hear how their night went.

"It was very nice," Draco informed them. "The hotel was lovely and the room was great. There was a gorgeous four poster bed which we made full use of."

"Draco," Hermione hissed at her husband, blushing at the thought of Lucius and Narcissa knowing what she and Draco had been up to the previous evening.

"We don't need to hear the details," Lucius said with a chuckle. "We're sure you both had a very satisfying night. You are both Malfoys, and we Malfoys have good sex lives."

"Lucius," Narcissa scolded with a frown, glancing over to where Scorpius was playing with his dragons and thanking the heavens that the four year old hadn't heard his grandfather and was now questioning them about sex.

"Just stating facts, Cissa," Lucius replied with an unconcerned shrug.

"But how was the reunion itself?" Narcissa asked, focusing on Hermione as she knew it had been her daughter-in-law who had wanted to attend the reunion.

"Dramatic," Hermione confessed. "As we expected, Ron was there."

"And let's guess, he caused a scene," Lucius said with a disapproving tut. "Although, I'm not sure why we're surprised. Those Weasleys all have short tempers. I remember the time old Arthur Weasley attacked me in the book shop in Diagon Alley."

"You're weren't totally innocent yourself, Lucius," Hermione pointed out. "Arthur may have thrown the first punch, but you were making your mouth go. If I remember correctly, I was even on the end of your insults."

"It was a long time ago, and I have apologised," Lucius murmured, having the good grace to look embarrassed as his daughter-in-law called him out on his past behaviour.

"So what exactly happened?" Narcissa asked, eager for the gossip.

"He punched me," Draco answered, brushing Narcissa's concerns off as she checked he was alright. "He was ranting and raving about Hermione being his wife, until I pointed out, she was actually my wife. That was when he insulted Hermione and I was the one doing the punching."

"I hope you landed a good one on him," Lucius said gleefully.

"I did," Draco replied, sharing a smirk with his father.

"I do hope things didn't descend into a brawl," Narcissa remarked with obvious distaste.

"No, Weasley slunk off home and left his little sister to continue the mudslinging," Draco answered.

"And just what did the little Potter tart have to say for herself?" Lucius demanded.

"She was spouting about family honour, and how I'd disgraced the Weasleys by divorcing Ron and then marrying Draco," Hermione answered with a shrug.

"If anyone's family honour is tainted it's ours, having a former Weasley in the family," Lucius sniffed.

"Not that we think you're a blight to the family, Hermione," Narcissa said, shooting her husband an unimpressed glare. She loved Lucius, but he did have a tendency to speak before he thought and that could end up making him sound cold and callous, when really he was a very sensitive and caring man.

"Of course not," Lucius corrected, smiling at Hermione. "You know how much we care about you, Hermione. You're the daughter we never had."

"I know you didn't mean anything by it, Lucius," Hermione said with a smile. Draco's parents had been wary of him getting involved with her at first, but over the years they'd all overcome their pasts and now the Malfoys were a very close knit family and Hermione loved Lucius and Narcissa and she knew they loved her.

"I hope you gave her a mouthful, Hermione," Lucius said, relieved that he hadn't inadvertently upset his daughter-in-law.

"I let her know what I thought of her," Hermione said, smiling slightly as she remembered how satisfying it had been to slap Ginny. It wasn't until she'd actually done it that she'd realised it was something she'd been longing to do since she'd met Ron's sister back in Hogwarts.

"But aside from that unpleasantness, I take it your evening was a success," Narcissa said.

"It was," Hermione replied with a large smile. She'd really enjoyed catching up with her old friends, and she'd even made plans for her and Draco to have dinner one evening with Neville and Luna.

After Draco and Hermione filled his parents in on the other aspects of their evening, they turned their focus to their children and how they were going to spend the day. After all, they were only in the country for a week and they intended to make the most of it. They wanted to take the children to as many fun places as they could think of as they gave Scorpius and Lyra a glimpse of Wizarding Britain before they returned to their normal lives in France.


	5. Chapter 5

The afternoon following the reunion, Hermione was surprised to receive an owl from Harry. Her old friend apologised profusely for Ron and Ginny's behaviour and asked if the pair of them could meet up before she went home. Since Hermione's main reason for attending the reunion had been to see Harry, and she'd barely exchanged more than a few words with her old friend, she was delighted with the chance to have a proper catch up with him. After informing Draco of what she was doing, Hermione wrote back to Harry and the pair arranged a meeting on the day before the Malfoys were due to go back home.

For the rest of the week, Hermione devoted her time to her family, and she and Draco took the children all over, sometimes just the four of them or sometimes with Draco's parents. They even took them into the muggle world, where they met up with Hermione's parents. Draco and Hermione also had dinner with Neville and Luna, and Hermione was pleased when Draco and Neville got along swimmingly and they decided to try and keep in better touch with the other couple.

On the day she'd been planning on going to see Harry, Draco suddenly decided that he would accompany her to the meeting. Hermione protested that she was more than capable of going to meet her old friend on her own, but Draco was adamant he was going to be there for her. He was worried that Harry wouldn't turn up alone, and that if he had either Ron or Ginny with him, trouble would break out. Knowing Draco was just concerned about her, Hermione had given in and together the pair had headed to Diagon Alley, where Hermione was meeting Harry in a fairly new coffee shop.

"Look, there he is. Alone," Hermione said to her husband as they approached the café and spotted Harry sitting alone at one of the outdoor tables, making the most of the warm summer sun.

"Even so, it won't hurt if I stick around," Draco answered as he scoured the rest of the street for redheads.

Rolling her eyes at her husband, Hermione headed over to Harry and greeted her friend with a hug.

"I'm really sorry about that reunion," Harry said. "I was mortified by Ron and Ginny's behaviour."

"Funny, you never said anything at the time," Draco drawled.

"Draco, behave," Hermione hissed. "Since you insist on being here, go and get the drinks. And get Harry a fresh one."

"What are you having Potter?" Draco asked with a sigh.

"Caramel Latte please," Harry answered, amused by how well trained Hermione had the former Slytherin.

"Sorry about him," Hermione said as her husband took her order and disappeared inside the coffee shop. "He insisted on coming with me."

"He doesn't trust me," Harry stated.

"It's not that, he's just very protective," Hermione said with a small smile. "I think he was worried you were going to spring Ron or Ginny on me."

"I would never do that to you, Hermione," Harry said sincerely as he reached across the table and took hold of Hermione's hands. "And I am sorry about the reunion and not saying anything. I just knew if I waded in, things were only going to get worse and I didn't want to completely ruin the evening for everyone else."

"I understand, Harry," Hermione said softly, smiling over at her old friend. "I've never wanted to put you in the middle of this mess."

"And was that why you left and never kept in touch?" Harry asked and Hermione winced as the genuine sadness she heard in his voice.

"I thought it was easier," Hermione admitted. "I know how much you love Ginny, and she was pretty vocal about the fact she disapproved of me divorcing Ron. I didn't want to cause trouble in your marriage."

"I understand why you didn't write, and I guess that's why I didn't write," Harry said as Draco returned to the table with three drinks and a slice of cheesecake.

"Where's my cheesecake?" Hermione pouted at her husband as he sat down next to her.

"You can share this one, I've got two forks," Draco answered with a grin, handing a fork over to his wife.

"Did you want anything, Harry?" Hermione asked, suddenly thinking how rude it was for her and Draco to be eating when they hadn't asked Harry about wanting any food.

"The coffee's fine," Harry answered with a smile. It was interesting watching Hermione and Draco interacting, and he had to admit they did seem very much in love.

"So Potter, why did you want to see Hermione?" Draco asked.

"Because she's one of my oldest friends, and we barely got to talk at the reunion," Harry answered, jumping in before Hermione could scold her husband for his rudeness. "And I wanted her to know that we don't all think like Ron and Ginny. They may be stuck in the past, but I'm not. I've always said Hermione did the right thing in leaving Ron, and I'm pleased she seems happy with you."

"You're happy we're together?" Draco asked sceptically. Even though Harry had been more understanding than his redheaded friend after the war, Draco still assumed he would be against Hermione being with him.

"I'm happy the witch I love as a sister is happy," Harry answered. "I don't think I ever would have pictured her with you, but it's clear you love her and she loves you. All I ever wanted was for Hermione to be happy, and since you make her happy, I approve."

"Thank you, Harry, that means a lot to me," Hermione said, beaming at her friend as she reached across the table and gave his hand a squeeze.

"I guess you're not too bad, Potter," Draco admitted begrudgingly when Hermione not so subtly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Right back at you, Malfoy," Harry laughed.

"Now that's all sorted, you can go now," Hermione said to Draco. "I'm perfectly safe with Harry."

"Even so, I think I'll stay," Draco replied as he sipped on his own drink. "Just pretend as though I'm not here."

"Chance would be a fine thing," Hermione muttered with a roll of her eyes, causing Draco to give her a mock glare and Harry to laugh at her.

"You really are happy, aren't you," Harry said with obvious joy.

"I am," Hermione confirmed with a wide smile. "Even with an annoying git as a husband."

"Fine, I can take a hint," Draco said with a dramatic sigh as he finished his coffee and slid the remaining bit of cheesecake over to his wife. "I promised Scorpius a new broom anyway, so I better go and grab one."

"And don't forget Lyra," Hermione said.

"As if I would forget my little princess," Draco replied with a tut. Getting to his feet, he pecked Hermione on the cheek and told her to have a good time. "And I'll just be wandering around doing some shopping if you need me."

"Okay," Hermione said with a nod. "I'll see you later."

Draco nodded and after giving Harry one final warning look, he disappeared into the shoppers enjoying the afternoon sun. Hermione watched her husband disappear into Flourish and Blotts, before turning back to Harry and apologising again for Draco gate-crashing their meeting.

"Don't," Harry said, holding up to his to stop Hermione mid apology. "He's just looking out for you. I'm actually pleased he turned up, because now I know just how much you mean to him. It's so obvious that you're his entire world."

"Not just me," Hermione said with a slight shrug.

"Ah yes, Scorpius and Lyra," Harry said, recalling the names he'd just heard. "I take it they're your children."

"They are," Hermione answered with a beaming smile. "Scorpius is four, and Lyra is eighteen months. Do you want to see a picture?"

"Of course," Harry answered.

Reaching into her bag, Hermione found her purse and pulled out the most recent picture of her two children. In the picture, Scorpius was sitting on the sofa with his arm around Lyra as he grinned widely and waved to the camera with his free hand. Lyra was copying off her brother, and her little hand was waving wildly as she looked up adoringly at Scorpius.

"They're gorgeous," Harry gushed, smiling at the picture. The little boy was the perfect replica of Draco, and he just oozed mischievousness, while the little girl looked like an adorable mini version of Hermione. "But those Malfoy genes are strong in your son."

"Tell me about it," Hermione laughed. "There are times I look at Scorpius and wonder just where I come into his creation. But then I'll find him pouring over books, or asking endless questions and I can see myself in him."

"You always did like to know everything," Harry chuckled as he handed the picture back over to his friend.

"And Scorpius is the same," Hermione said as she tucked the picture back into her purse. "But other than that, he's very much like Draco, and Lucius come to that."

"Lucius?" Harry almost choked on his coffee at the mention of Hermione's father-in-law. Somehow it had never occurred to him that by marrying Draco, Hermione was now related to the formidable Lucius Malfoy.

"He's not the same man he used to be," Hermione said. "He wasn't sure of me at first, but I won him round. Once he accepted me, he's being nothing but welcoming towards me. We get on really well these days, and he's a brilliant grandfather."

"I guess everyone deserves a second chance," Harry said.

"I certainly believe in second chances," Hermione replied. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have my wonderful family."

"And just how do you have your family?" Harry asked. "I want to know everything. How on earth did you end up married to Draco Malfoy of all people?"

"After I left the country, I moved to France," Hermione began. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to settle there, but I speak French and that was always where I went on holiday with my parents so I had good memories of the place. I decided to give it a go, and applied for a job at the main hospital in wizarding France."

"And naturally you got the job," Harry chuckled.

"I did," Hermione confirmed, chuckling along with Harry. "Within a few months, I knew I didn't want to leave. I loved my job, and I'd found myself a lovely flat in wizarding Paris with stunning views of the city. After Ron, I'd given up on men and I spent three and a half years rejecting any man who asked me out. Then one day, Narcissa came into the hospital with a broken wrist and Draco was with her as she'd injured herself at his house. We got talking as I fixed Narcissa up and when I was finished, Draco asked me to go out for a drink as a thank you both for what I'd done with Narcissa and what I'd done after the war, speaking up for him at his trial."

"Why say yes to him if you said no to everyone else?" Harry asked with a frown.

"I didn't," Hermione replied. "I very politely declined the offer and told him that he didn't need to thank me. As a healer I was merely doing my job by fixing Narcissa's wrist, and as for war, I was just doing what was right in helping him escape a prison sentence he'd never deserved."

"If you declined his offer, how did you end up together then?" Harry questioned.

"In case it slipped your attention, Draco is a very determined man," Hermione said. "I think at first, he was just annoyed that I'd turned him down so he was determined to get me to have a drink with him. He would turn up at the hospital fairly regularly to ask me out, and in the end I was won over by his persistence. Although, I never intended to have more than one drink with him."

"What changed?"

"I discovered that the boy I thought I knew in school, was a changed man," Hermione answered. "The Draco I had a drink with was a completely new person, and for the first time since Ron, I found myself having fun with a wizard and feeling the spark of attraction. I admit, I nearly didn't agree to see him after that first drink, but I told him I would only see him again if we could take things slowly. He agreed to take things at whatever pace I wanted, and he's been like that ever since. He's never pushed me into doing anything I wasn't ready for. He saw how messed up I was after what had happened with Ron, and he helped fix me."

"And for that, I'll forever be grateful to him," Harry said with a smile. "I'm so pleased to see you enjoying your life, Hermione. I'm glad you've found someone who will treat you like you deserve to be treated, and love you like you deserve."

"I'm very lucky," Hermione said, looking around to see if she could see her husband, but not spotting him in the shopping crowds. "Not only does Draco love me, but he puts up with all my insecurities. I'm sure most men would have ran from me years ago, but he's always been there for me."

"And I hope he always will be," Harry said seriously.

"He will," Hermione replied with confidence. She knew at one time she would have said the same about Ron, but this time she knew for certain that Draco wasn't going anywhere. She could totally rely on her second husband, and he gave her a sense of security she'd never had with anyone else. "Now, enough about me, I want to hear about you and your life."

Ordering fresh coffees, Harry and Hermione spent another hour discussing Harry's life and just catching up in general before Draco reappeared, carrying several bags of shopping. Draco's reappearance signalled the end of the meeting, but before they parted ways the pair vowed to keep in touch.

Hermione hoped Harry meant it when he promised to write regularly, as she'd missed her friend and it would be nice to hear from him every now and again. Although, even if he didn't write, it had still being great seeing him again and Hermione headed home feeling good about things. Despite the drama at the reunion, her abiding memory of the trip would be her afternoon with Harry. It was nice to know that even fourteen years apart hadn't tainted their friendship, and they were still as close as ever.

Hermione now knew that no matter what life threw at her, she had a husband who loved her more than anything, two children who adored her, a supportive family, and now an old friend she could rely on to be there if she needed him. All in all, Hermione's life was good and she was grateful for the second chance she'd received in the form of Draco. Thankfully, the second time around, she'd found the man of her dreams and she had the strong, loving marriage she'd always wanted.

 **The End.**

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 **A/N - Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm so pleased people enjoyed this story, and I hope you all also enjoyed the final chapter.**


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